This invention relates generally to stringed musical instruments and, more particularly, to a guide retainer and arrangement for the strings of such instruments.
Traditional stringed instruments employ a plurality of strings which can be strummed to produce desired tonal sounds. Typically, the strings are fed between tuning screws mounted on a neck of the instrument and either ferrules retained by a rear surface of the instrument's body or a block mounted on a front surface thereof. Individual ferrules are undesirably subject to separation from the body upon breakage of an attached string while block string retainers retained on the instrument's front surface produce generally considered inferior tonal quality. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/674,705 discloses an improved system having a retainer block encompassed by a rear surface of an instrument body and a plurality of strings each having a first end secured to a tuning mechanism and a second end retained by the retainer block. Although the string retainer block disposed at the rear surface of the body alleviates problems associated with string breakage and enhances tonal performance of the instrument, further improvement in instrument performance is desirable.
The object of this invention, therefore, is to provide a stringed instrument offering improved tonal output and ease of use.